In 1990, attorneys from the firm litigated the first state case finding that a former Five Tribes restricted allotment was a “dependent Indian community” and that state courts had no jurisdiction to evict an Indian housing authority homebuyer, which resulted in the establishment of the CFR court system in Eastern Oklahoma.

Hobbs Straus Practice Areas

A national law firm with a long history in the practice of federal Indian law, Hobbs Straus is dedicated in its efforts to protect and defend tribal sovereignty. We provide Indian and Alaska Native tribes and organizations with high quality, full service legal representation and strategic counsel in the following practice areas:

For over two decades Hobbs Straus has worked side by side with tribal councils to advance their causes and further their own development. We have assisted our tribal clients on such varied issues as tribal infrastructure, land use claims and protection, election and campaign law, jurisdiction and intergovernmental relations.

Widely recognized as one of the most important legislative policies in modern Indian affairs, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) gives tribes the right to assume responsibility for their own education and social services programs.

Despite great progress, there are still many Indians and Alaska Natives who are living in substandard housing, which in some cases are truly appalling conditions. Our Indian housing practice is focused in its efforts to assist tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) realize better living conditions for their people.

Indian gaming presents tribes with great opportunities — opportunities tied to economic growth, opportunities for development, and opportunities to improve the lives for many in Indian Country. Nationally recognized as one of the leading Indian law firms in this field, Hobbs Straus has been at the forefront of assisting tribes on gaming and gaming related issues since its earliest days.

The increased revenue stream realized by Indian gaming has opened the door for some tribes to pursue new economic and business opportunities. For many tribes, including those with small gaming operations, economic development remains a serious challenge.

Preservation and management of natural resources to protect and enhance tribal territories is of paramount importance to tribes, and balancing that with the need for economic development is not always easy.

Throughout Hobbs Straus’ history, our attorneys have assisted Oklahoma tribes on a variety of issues and, since the establishment of our Oklahoma office in 1996, we have been exclusively positioned to meet the unique and challenging needs of Oklahoma tribes both locally and nationally.

Despite longstanding political, social and economic marginalization, indigenous communities in the Americas have recently achieved fundamental legal reforms and have raised awareness of indigenous concerns in their respective national agendas.

Hobbs Straus’ attorneys are trusted to fulfill a broader role for our clients by serving as tribal counselors. This may involve serving as traditional general counsel, or, as is more often the case, serving as special counsel — always available and ready to provide objective, sound and strategic advice on a wide variety of legal, political, and business issues.

In 2010, after more than ten years of legislative effort, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act was permanently authorized and amended as part of the Affordable Care Act. Our attorneys worked closely with tribal advocates from across the country to achieve this important milestone and ensure that the law is designed to help fully implement the federal government's trust responsibility to provide health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The authority to tax is an inherent attribute of sovereignty. Tribes, like their federal and state counterparts, depend on taxation to raise revenues for essential services. Yet, with their lands held in trust by the federal government, tribal governments have a limited tax base and rely on revenue generated from economic development to meet and supplement vital programs and services.